Device foe



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

i E. H. THURSTON. DEVICE FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO THE HUMAN BODY. No. 309,897. Patented Dec. 30, 1884.

W/iZESSES I (giaQdQgM/vm WW 7 Afforney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. H. THURSTON.

DEVICE FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY T0 TIE HUMAN BODY.

Patented Dec. 30, 1884,

zf/ie r 111: Ma g c hn'r N. PETERS. PlmM-Li'hographur. Washluglnn. u c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DLI H. THURSTON, OF lIAG-ERSTOWN, INDIANA.

DEVICE FOR APPLYlNG ELECTRICITY TC THE HUMAN BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,897, dated December 30, 1884.

Application filed March 3, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it 71b0, concern/.-

Be it known that I, ELI H. Tn'URsToN, of Hagerstown, in the county of \Vaync and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Applying Electricity to the Human Body; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devices for applying electricity to the human body for therapeutical purposes, its object being to facilitate the application of electrical currents simultaneously to various parts of the body, and to provide for conveniently changing the direction of such currents through the body at the will of the operator.

My invention consists, mainly, in a novel combination of a suitable electric generator, main conductors, branch conductors, electrodes for applying the current, and a pole changer, with, preferably, a switch in addition to the pole-changer, as will be fully understood from the'followingparticular description and the accompanying drawings.

It also consists in certain novel details of construction, which will be fully described and illustrated.

My invention is applicable to chairs, tables, beds, baths, and other articles for receiving the human body.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a chair having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the polechanger and switch. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the improved binding-posts. Fig. it is an enlarged detached view of the switch and pole-changer shown connected with the chair in Fig. 1.

The letter Aindicates the frame-work of a chair having secured to one side thereof two binding-posts, I) and b, which are respectively connected to the opposite poles of a galvanic batte y X, by means of wires 20 and a. To

the opposite side of the chair from these binding-posts is secured a bracket, D, upon which is pivoted a pole-changer consisting of a non conducting semicircle, 0, provided with a handle, (3, by which it may be turned upon its pivot c. This pole-changer is provided with connected pairs of metallic plates or buttons 1 1 2 2 3 3 t 4. Upon the b "acket D are secured springs S S S S, having free ends extending upon the margin of the semicircle C, and arranged to make contact with alternate buttons simultaneously. The binding-post I), which is connected with the positive pole of the battery, is also connected by a wire, 10, with the spring S, and the other binding-post is connected by a wire, w", with the spring S. From the spring 8" a conducting-strip, E, leads upward along the front and to of the right arm of the chair, and also along the front of the right-hand side ofthc chair-back, and from the spring S" a similar strip, E, leads to the left arm of the chair, and along its surface and the left side of the chair-back in a similar man ner. Each of these strips is provided with a series of binding-posts, 9, adapted to receive attachingserews 3 such as shown in Fig. 5;. These binding-posts and attaching-screws are for the purpose of connecting to the strips suit able electrodes for communicating the electric current to various parts of the body of a person occupying the chairas, for instance, F and F are electrodes for the arms, F and F" for the sides of the body and the back, and F F for the neck and opposite sides of the head. To the strip D is also connected by a wire, h, an electrode, F for the left foot, while an elec' trodc, F", for the right foot is connected by a wire, 71 with a swittah, 1i, by means of which it may be connected with either of the strips E or E. This switchli is a metallic arm pivoted on the pivot 0 ol' the pole-changer, and adapted to be swung into contact with either of two metallic buttons, Z or Z", located on the bracket D, and respectively connected by wires '1' and 'i with the springs S and S. To the wires It and h are also connected electrodes and F, for application to the legs of the patient.

To the wires 10" a are respectively connected wires q, which lead to the metallic casters ol'the chair. Upon the lloor are arranged me tallic plates '2- 1', which are connected by wires n a with binding-posts b If", arranged upon a suitable shell", '1', and which may be connected with opposite poles of the battery, as indicated by dotted lines. The floor-plates and connections may be used for communicating the current to the conductors of the chair independently of the binding-posts Z) and b, but are not intended to be used simultaneously therewith. Each of the electrodes consists of a sponge, f, secured to a metallic back plate, f, by means of elastic bandsf. To the metallic bacl; plate is secured a binding-post, 7

as shown, to receive one of the attachingholstery oi" the chair or upon. the clothing of the patient. In using the electrodes the sponges are to be wet with water or dil ute acid in the usual manner, and may be laid upon the various parts of the body and supported in any convenient manner or as customary in using elcctro-thcrapeutic apparatus ot' this class.

In using the apparatus the operator 1na nipulates the pole-changer and switch to di- "rect the current through the various parts of the body as his judgment may direct. It will be observed that with the polechanger arranged as shown in the drawings, Fig. 1, the current leaving the positive pole ot' the batteryX will follow the wire in and wire a as indicated by the arrows, to the spring S of the pole-changer, and from this spring travels to the spring S from which it goes to the conducting-strip 13 and the electrodes arranged for application to the right-hand side of the body, and alter passing through the body to the electrodes of the lelthand side will travel, as indicated by the arrows numbered 11, along the connecting cords and strip E to the spring S of the polechanger, from which it crosses to spring S, and ltOllOWS the wires in and in to the negative pole of the battery. It, now, the handle of the pole-changer be moved as indicated by the arrow numbered 2 the polechanger will be shifted so as to make contact between the springs ot the pole-changer and buttons thereof adjacent to those which they are shown as resting upon in the drawings, and then the current from the positive pole of the battery will now over the wires in 1/2 and spring S to button number 1 of the pole-changer, and cross over to button 1, and thence to spring S conducting-strip E, and the electrodes of the left-hand side, and from the electrodes of the right-hand side it will flow to strip 1G, and over this strip and spring S to button 3 ot the pole-changer, from which it will cross over to button 3, and flow thence over spring S, wire to a, to the negative pole of the battery, itsdireetion through the body being the reverse of what it was in the first instance. l'n whichever direction the current may be passed through the upper port ion of the body it may be at the same time reversed through the feet and the legs independently by means of the switch K. For instance, if the current is flowing by the unnumbered arrows from the positive pole, as shown in Fig.1, and the switch K be situated as shown in said figure, a portion of the returii-ctnrent to spring S will follow the wire t" to the switch, and thence how ever the wire it to the electrode It of the right foot, and another portion of the current will flow over the wire it to the elec trode F of the left foot, so that the returncurrent will flow up both legs of the patient, and may also be cominluiicatcd to i ntermediatc portions of the legs by the electrodes l and F". If, however, the switch were moved into contact with the button 1, then a portion of the positive current would ilow from the spring S over wiret to the switch and the electrodes otthc right foot and leg ,while the negative current would flow over the electrode 1* and ll o1 theleft'l'oot and leg. )urrents would be caused through the legs in other obviousdirections it the pole-changer were shifted into its alterna tive position while such changes of the switch were being made. It will be noticed that it the pole-changer were shifted to bring the spring S 011 the button 1 of the pole-changer the current would be broken, and thus the op erator is enabled to stop the llow of the current at any time without going to the battery. I have provided the conducting-strips l!) and l) with binding-posts at several innit-mediate points, so that the electrodes maybe connected in position as found convenient. These biiuling-posts are of an improved construe tion, each consisting simply of metallic screw y, bored centrally from. its head, and internally screwthreadcd, the attaching-screw being screwed into the post and removable therefrom at pleasure.

in Fig. 2 I have illustrated a modified construction of the polc-changcr and switch, which may be used in lieu of the form shown in Fig. 1, and may be located on a suitable shelt' projecting from one side or the chair. The letter N. indicates a non-conducting cylinder having upon its upper side two buttons or metallic plates, ax m connected by a wire, r, and on its under side, as shown in dotted lines, two buttons, a, connected by a wire, o. it has also on its upper side two other buttons, at :t'", which are'connected by wires passing through the cylinder to buttons :v and :v. The springs S" and S are to be connected to the opposite poles of the battery, and the springs S" S are to be connected to the right and let't hand main condueting-strips, respectively, ot'

the chair, bath, bed, or table, as the case may be. It will be seen that a positive current flowing to spring S in the posit-ion of the polechanger as shown in the drawings will now over wire n to the spring S and conductor l of the 1' it-hand side 01' the chair, while the spring S s connected through the wire 2" to spring S and the comlucting-strip ot' the lefthand side of the chair It, now, the cylinder low were partially rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow number 3, the springs S and S would break contacts with buttons 00 and x and make contacts with buttons 01: cc, and the springs S and S would break contact with buttons a" and 00 and make contact with buttons a? and 90 and then the positive current would flow from spring S to button 00, thence to button 50 spring S and the conductor E of the lefthand side of the chair, while the returncurrent would flow from the conductor E of the right side of the chair to spring S and button and thence to button a and spring S and back to the negative pole of the battery. Thus the direction of the current through the upper part of the body may be reversed at pleasure. The springs S and S are respectively connected with the buttons 5 and 6 of a switch, K, this switch being connected with the electrode F of the left foot, while the electrode F of the right foot is connected to the spring S. 3y manipulating this switch a positive current or negative current, as desired, may be taken from one of thesprings S or S, whatever may be the position of the cylinder of the pole-changer.

I prefer that the various conductors and branch conductors be insulated by suitable wrapping or protective covering, such as is commonly used for such purposes, and they maybe concealed in a well-known manner by being lct into the frame-work or located on the back of the same instead of the front.

Having now fully described my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction which I have shown, nor to the application of my invention to a chair, as it may obviously be applied to a table, bed, bath, or other article adapted to receive the human body.

I am aware that chairs, baths, and other articles have been provided with conductors,

electrodes, and current-reversers for applying electric currents to the human body, and I lay no claim to such an apparatus, broadly.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electro-therapeutic apparatus, the combination, with the main conductors E E, each provided with branch conductors and electrodes, of the springs S and S", forming terminals of said main conductors, the springs S and S, arranged for connection with the opposite poles of a battery, and the pole-changer provided with connected pairs of buttons arranged to make contact with said springs and reverse the connection of springs S S with springs S S at will, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the main conduct-- ors E and E, provided with branch conductors and electrodes, the pole-changer, and suitable connections through the same from said main conductors to a battery, of the switch K, connected with one or more independent electrodes, and conductors arranged to connect said switch with either one of the main conductors, as desired.

3. The combination, with the main conduct ors provided with electrodes for the upper por tion of the body, and a pole-changer arranged to reverse the connections of said main electrodes to a battery, of two or more electrodes for the feet and legs, and a snitableswiteh an ranged to regulate the circuit through the lat ter electrodes independently of the position of the pole-changer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two snbscril ing witnesses.

ELI I-I. THURSTUN.

\V it nesses:

CHARLES A. Hucnns, Josmn SIIIvELY. 

